Sunday, January 22, 2017

Our first encounter, we laughed about two completely different things - I can't remember what it was, but both our laughs were hearty and boisterous, and that was more than enough to spark our odd kinship.

I talk a lot about influence, and wonder how much someone or something has an impact on our lives. And I can honestly say Greg has made a lasting difference in my life. When I arrived in Ann Arbor, Greg was one of the first people who reached out to me and who I shared life with. His listening ear, honest advice, and practical perspective, I found touching.

I remember distinctly, Greg telling me, "I admire how consistent you are with your blog."

"I admire how consistent you are with your blog."

His compliment revitalized my blog-tired spirit; almost no one had told me I was tenacious (because most of my life I have not been) and it motivated me to continue the blog, weekly, no matter what. I promised myself that I would make at least one post come Sunday each week. (I'm crossing my fingers right now)

So really, the only reason I continue to write this blog is because of Greg. Thanks Greg, for cursing (blessing?) the public with my weekly tirades/writing/discourse.

Sunday, January 8, 2017

My good friend and I were talking about how the nature of relationships were changing hand in hand with the advent of advanced technology.

Our mobile phones, the internet, and some other third thing gives us access to most, if not all, our perceived desires. Everything we need is at our fingertips.

Search: Dank Memes.

And we began our talk about how consumable everything was becoming in our culture. From humor, (memes) to sex (tinder).

I began to wonder afterwards at the current mindset of our generation. At the risk of sounding apocalyptic, I saw this kind of consumables-mindset carry over into our broader understanding of friendships in general too.

When a person is angry or has opposing views with a friend, they "*unfriend" them - it's no longer necessary to talk out the issue with them respectfully and cordially. Why bother? Friends can be made with a click of a button.

Zuckerberg?

This kind of view of friendships and relationships in a broader aspect can, not only cause a lot of harm, but leads people astray from the true meaning of deep, lasting relationships.

And I understand maybe that's not what some people are or should be looking for all the time. I'm not looking for deep, personal conversations or an intimate relationship with the guy who delivers my pizza. Nothing against pizza guys, but my point is that for those few people you want to share more of yourself with, to treat them in a dismissive way would be counterproductive to developing kinship.

Pizza is love, pizza is life.

But alas, more questions arise:

Who can you trust? Who can you share with? How much? What exactly do you share?

Stay warm!

See you guys next week.

- Jinwoo

*The quotations are a reference to Facebook, which has effectively destroyed the meaning of the very word, 'friend'. (I am not a fan of facebook, as you guys could probably tell)